Social Question

Would this be a more or less humane way for the U.S. to execute prisoners? (Details Inside)

I found this quote in a Reuters article about North Korea: “In May last year, the North executed its defense chief by anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, the South’s spy agency said in a report to members of parliament.”

With most U.S. States having gone the lethal injection route and several now having difficulties acquiring the necessary drugs to make the required chemical cocktails, should States such as Texas, which is No. 1 in offing prisoners, consider this form of execution as a replacement?

Given the choice, would you personally choose to be executed by firing squad, hanging, electric chair, lethal injection or shot to bits by an anti-aircraft gun at close range?

I read some accounts that say shot condemned suffered a lot, sometimes even greater than the condemned executed by other methods. My country’s government is considering changing from shooting to lethal injection and is testing of some prisioners. Shooting doesn’t seem so humane. Lethal injection may be more humane but it surely is less economical.

If I had to choose, I’d go with long drop hanging. Cheap and more likely to guarantee a quick death.

@zenvelo “Join the civilized world and stop revenge killing in my name.”

Amen. I also detest the fact that my federal and state tax dollars are used for executions. It’s part of the social contract, and I have no choices but to pay-up or emigrate, yet it’s a dreadful part of that contract.

The anti-aircraft method would work very well if the gun was trained on the victim’s head at point-blank range. The suffering is only in the mind and if you destroy the brain quickly, no suffering. Messy, though effective. (A shotgun loaded with a single solid slug would be more cost effective.)

The anti-aircraft thing is just ridiculous and several orders of magnitude beyond overkill. It’s just another of Best Korea’s typical attempts to like a big boy.

As far as “humane” executions go – make no mistake, we’re* not truly concerned with the suffering of the condemned. We’re simply trying to sanitize the act as much as possible for our own benefit. We demand blood, but we get kinda squeamish at the sight of it.